Title THE AUTUMN OF CENTRAL PARIS: THE DEFEAT OF TOWN PLANNING 1850-1970.

Publisher McGill-Queen's University Press, Montreal, 1971.

Seller ID 20391

372 pp, large 8vo (9 1/4" H), hard cover in dust jacket. ISBN 0773501150 Pictorial endpapers, b&w photographs, reproductions, maps/plans, fold-out map at rear. "This volume sets a contemporary problem of urban life squarely in its historical cont ext - the problem of the city centre. The author asks how it is that the central business district of Paris, unlike the City of London, should have survived so long without being rebuilt, despite demands of commerce and convenience. He de a l s w i t h the interplay of changing urban functions, municipal responsibilities, planning decisions, demands for preservation, and shifting economic pressures, from the time of Haussmann to the present day. The book covers a period in the his to ry o f P ar is w h ich has been almost completely ignored so far. Much has been written about Haussmann's work in Paris (1853-70), but no one has tried to assess the value of what he achieved in the light of the efforts of his successors. As in ter est i n t he pro ble m of city centres grows, and the question of whether to redevelop or conserve is being posed with increasing urgency in many historic towns, the experience of Paris takes on great relevance. By setting contemporary con trov ersi es i n t heir hi stor ical c ontext and examining social and economic developments as well as municipal policies, the book will be of interest to the town planner and the social scientist, as well as to the historian or indeed anyone int erest ed in the stud y of urba n lif e." Ver y small crease to top corner of all pages, small bump to corners, slight bump to top edge of rear board, light wrinkling to top/bottom of spine. Dust jacket has light edge wear/wrinkling, light wrinklin g to t op/bot tom o f spi ne an d fla p-fold s, l ight rubbing, minor soiling. Good+/Good+